Regional trash program moving forward

The Board of Health on Monday approved a recommendation by the HPT (Hubbardston, Princeton, Templeton) Waste Reduction Task Force to proceed with a regional waste and recycling program with Waste Management of Westboro as the hauler.

BOH members and selectmen in each of the three towns will be voting on the proposal within the next week.

The task force had received bids from four firms, and representatives from each of the towns reviewed and rated them, narrowing the field to two bidders, Waste Management and Central Mass Disposal of Rutland.

Monday morning, Task Force members met with the bidders, and after getting answers to several questions, decided to select Waste Management as the designated hauler.

Two toters per household would be provided by Waste Management, one 64-gallon toter for trash and one 96-gallon toter for recycling materials. There would be a flat annual fee ranging between $193- $243 for each household. The amount is dependent on the number of customers who sign up. The cost would be $193 with 90 percent participation of the households in all three towns, $230 a year with 70 percent participation and $243 with 60 percent participation. The annual fee includes the cost of billing, which will be done by Waste Management.

Princeton residents now pay an average of $400 a year for trash/recyclable pickup. Under the proposal, Waste Management would pick up trash weekly and recyclables bi-weekly.

In addition to the annual fee, customers would purchase pay-as-you-throw bags at a cost of 75 cents for a 15-gallon bag and $1.25 for a 33-gallon bag. According to Terri Longtine, Board of Health secretary and member of the task force, the regional program would mean fewer trucks using Princeton roads, weekly trash pickup for every customer and easier recycling with the larger toter that handles all recyclables. She said town-wide hauling would be more equitable because a single person who creates a small amount of trash each week will pay less because he or she would purchase fewer bags.

"We need at least 60 percent of the residents in all three towns to sign on to the program in order for it to work," said Longtine. "Then it's education, education, education. Waste Management has agreed to mail out information to all households and businesses." The company also has agreed to buy new trucks if there is enough participation from the three towns, she added. The anticipated startup date for regional trash pickup is September.

At annual town meetings this spring, voters will be asked to approve a five-year intermunicipal contract for the new trash-hauling system. Templeton will be the lead community, acting as coordinator for the program, said Longtine.